The Ethical Issue Of Euthanasia

Euthanasia, defined as the act of “putting a person to painless death especially in case of incurable suffering,” is a controversial subject surrounded by many moral dilemmas (Murkey, 2008). Although euthanasia is the overarching term used to describe the act itself, within it are three principal forms: voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary, each of which pertains to case specific issues. Following The Supreme Court’s recent decision deeming Canada’s controversial law against physician-assisted suicide unconstitutional, I will focus here on the morality of voluntary euthanasia (VE) and physician-assisted suicide (PAS), as well as the legal limitations to which their implementations shall be bound.

From the world’s first stock market to concentric canal rings to the institution of drug, prostitution, and euthanasia policies, Amsterdam has been at the forefront of progress and liberalism. In history, Amsterdam became a think tank for new ideas and has now emerged as a successful liberal experiment. It grew to briefly become a world center, spreading a broad interpretation of liberalism––the ideology centers on individual freedom and heavily influences Western society (Shorto, 2013). Most importantly, the reach of Amsterdam’s influence, on a global scale, is the value placed on tolerance. Amsterdam’s deep,

“Death is quite often better than what we do to patients” (Pavlish, Brown-Saltzman, Hersh, Shirk, & Rounkle, 2011, p. 390). This quote comes from a palliative care nurse who witnesses the suffering and extreme pain her patients endure on the daily. In this paper we will discuss the ethical dilemma of euthanasia and how it affects the nursing profession, along with the moral issues pertaining to the dilemma.

I believe that it is acceptable for patients who are terminally ill and are in pain to be allowed to end their life. I think physician assisted suicide should only be available if all other treatments have been exhausted. When the patient is in so much pain that waiting until death is physically excruciating I believe options should be available. Advance directives are something that I believe everyone should have whether they think they are going to be in that position or not. I don’t think that the government should have any part in deciding if you are in a position to ask for that or not. It is an extremely personal decision that should be decided by the patient and their

Taking the perspective of a physician in this case the first ethical ramification to be considered in regards to this new law is what exactly would qualify a patient to choose euthanasia, furthermore, under what circumstances would providing a patient with assistance to end their life be considered unethical. The team relationship between the specialty care team and the family or support system requires them to share common goals, among them is the loyalty and concern for the patient (Purtilo and Doherty, pg. 293). By allowing a patient to make this choice, no matter how thorough the discussion pre-euthanasia has been, it could be potentially disloyal, or portrayed as a physician giving up on providing quality care for their patient, in turn being unethical in their role as a member of the care team.

Euthanasia is one of the most historically debated, discussed topics in medicine, law and ethics. Doctors, religious, lawyers and relatives of terminally ill patients, leave testimonials that make us reflect on the topic. Right to die with dignity or live with pain and suffering? A question that we do ask when we live experiences of loved ones who suffer daily pain, having an undeserving life.

Euthanasia is a controversial topic. It involves helping someone sick end their life. I am really not sure how I feel about this. I have watched a family member be terminally ill and was with him until the wee hours of the morning the day he died. I honestly don’t know if euthanasia should have been an option in that situation.

Death is one of the most emotionally charged times in a person’s life. From the beginning people have viewed death as inevitable and universal. Yet, different cultures have reacted to death and dying in different ways. Most people say that euthanasia should be kept illegal, but I think otherwise. Life is meant to be a beautiful, joyful experience, and once these enjoyable aspects of life have ceased, the will to live diminishes. Euthanasia is ethically right because it permits the sick to choose death or life of suffering, and it is not the same as suicide.

I will let my aunt chose to live or die! Euthanasia also medically termed as “physician-assisted suicide”, is medically defined; by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of how the patient intends to use such means or information. Individuals all over the world are living through this situation without being supported.With this being said the acceptance of this will allow my aunt to not live through suffering from ovarian cancer. Although many deem euthanasia wrong, it is medically ethical for physicians to assist terminal patient's choice to end their lives because it exercises a patient's autonomy on living without suffering critically. Therefore, physicians shall ethically support the allowing of euthanasia.

n this paper, I will be addressing why PAS is ethical. PAS allows a person who is declared terminally ill or mentally unstable the right to die without pain or suffering. This allows them to make an important decision regarding how they would like to end their life. This describes a human right because everyone no matter the race or ethnicity should have a choice to determine their life whether it be Euthanasia or PAS. In the case of a young woman named Karen Ann Quinlan at just 31 years old, she fell into a coma after she took a few tranquilizers and drank a couple of alcoholic beverages. Quinlan at the time of her death weighed just 65 pounds, but while in the coma she weighed 115 pounds. A couple of years later she was taken off of a respirator

The issues with euthanasia as an ethical issue is who has determined that this is right? Ethically who are we to decide when someone dies? When is it legal or ethically right to terminate a life? People who favor euthanasia and who do not have a Christian view say it is a person’s moral right to die with dignity, it is their constitutional right and this act is an act of mercy on the person who is suffering. They believe that it relives the family from suffering and financial burden and is just the most human thing that can be done (Geisler, 2010,

The word “euthanasia” comes from the greek, meaning “good death”. The word itself means the act of ending a the life of a person suffering from a terminal illness, and or an incurable disease. In my opinion I go for this ethical dilemma for two reasons, the main reason being to end a loved one’s pain, and or seeing them live an unfulfilled life. The second reason being important because they have the right to make their own choices and don’t have to be forced to stay alive.(S. C)

In today’s society we are constantly being presented with choices that require our judgement on whether we believe that choice is ethical or not. Most of these choices are not things that we will likely ever be confronted with, and yet we are compelled to judge the moral actions of others. Euthanasia has come to the fore-front of these moral and ethical issues. Euthanasia is defined as “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma” and is derived from the Greek words eu and thanatos, meaning “easy death”. There has been much controversy throughout history as to whether euthanasia should be legal or is ethical. In ancient times, doctors have two roles in society; to heal and to kill. Plato said “Mentally and physically ill persons should be left to death; they do not have the right to live” (New Zealand resource for life). This argument makes his beliefs on euthanasia very clear. However, Plato lived in a very non-theistic oriented society in which God was not seen as a personal being or entity. The existence of God as the one Creator changed many people’s views on whether or not they could consider mercy killing to be socially acceptable. Once the foundation of a God became established in society many people’s views changed as they now believed that only God had the right to give or take away life. Euthanasia is now illegal in most nations and is generally viewed as immoral and unethical. I personally find the

The philosophical theories and ethics of two philosophers, Aristotle and Kant, offer two differing views on the morality of euthanasia. Margaret P. Battin’s “Euthanasia: The Way We Do It, the Way They Do It” offers three countries’ perspectives on and laws regarding euthanasia and/or physician assisted suicide, as well as evaluations and critiques of their policies. To determine which of these points of view has the most pertinence, all of these arguments will be outlined and consequently analyzed, both separately and in relation to each other. Their differences and similarities will be enumerated and described, consequently their merit will be discussed. Ultimately, Aristotle’s moral theory centering around eudaimonia will be shown to be superior to Kant’s categorical imperative, because of its flexible nature when evaluating the acceptability of euthanasia under different circumstances.

Euthanasia can be done by veterinarians to your pets when they are old and in pain due to a disease, but what about humans? Euthanasia is the process of which one intentionally ends a life in the hopes of relieving a suffering that otherwise would be too much to bear for the patient. It is usually talked about when someone is inflicted with a terminal illness, or an illness with which there is no cure. They will have bouts of uncontrollable and excruciating pain but no way to control it. Many of these people are Canadians and will look to the Canadian government for help with their request, but Euthanasia is illegal. Section 251(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada states, “Every one who ….(b) aids or abets a person to commit suicide, whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.” Euthanasia is a safe alternative for people suffering from terminal illness as it helps them get away from a body that is no longer under their control. By criminalizing euthanasia and other forms of medically-assisted suicide, it is an impingement of the patient’s section 7, 12 and 15 charter rights.